Turkey Tracks: March 4, 2012
Beet Salad
This picture of a beet salad has been waiting to be discussed since the Christmas holidays when Mike, Tami, and the kiddos were here.
It was too good to just move on and ignore it, so here it is.
It all started when we ha some roasted beets…
Just wash some beets, put them into a covered pan, put the pan into the oven at 350 degrees for about an hour. Less for small beets; more for larger ones. A knife will slide right in when they are done. I also put about a 1/2 cup of water into the pan just to prevent the oozing beet juices from burning. Let the beets cool. The skins will slip off easily if you rub the beets with a paper towel. If the beets are still too warm to handle, stick a fork in each beet, hold it up, and rub the paper towel of the surface while protecting your fingers from the heat.
Lay out a bed of spinach and put the chopped beets (bite sized) over. We had some of our dried cherry tomatoes, so those went on. Diced, fresh are also nice. We had some leftover cooked string beans, so they went on. Sliced onion. Red onion would be even nicer, but I’d never make a special trip to the store for one ingredient as I tend to cook with what I have on hand. Blue cheese crumbled over all. And the dressing is a very mustardy, sharp, garlicky vinaigrette–lovely with the sweet beets and onion. Salt and cracked black pepper.
There wasn’t a piece left at the end of the meal.
The picture does not really do this salad justice. It’s fabulous for a dinner party.
PS: The tablecloth is a hand-crocheted piece with butterflies in the pattern that I bought at our Coastal Quilters fall auction for, I think, $30!!!! It has lived on the table since and washes and dries easily. Thank you, thank you to whomever put this piece into the auction. It is loved and cherished now.
Louisa Enright's Blog 